The Press., 1887-09-22
(Arnold Burges Johnson in the September Cosmopol- ..4 itan.) -..r 9g aEoU
 HOW A SERVANT SAVED SEWARD'S LaRR.

HOW A SERVANT SAVED SEWARD'S kaFR. !. Among Mir. Sumner's servants the one whom he most highly ysvalued was an elder ly Irish woman. Margaret Coleman. ..i.I
 Prior to entering Mir. Summers service, Margaret was of the household of William H. Seward. When,ron the 14th of April, 1885, the night of the assassination of Pres ident Lincoln, ,ap attempt was made on the life of Mir. Seward, she was one of those in charge Of his room, he then being confined to his bed from the effects of fall from his carriage. Payne, the would be assassin, was met by Mr. Frederick Seward at the head of the stairs. After woundinR him severely and leaving him seemingly dead, Payne passed over his bUdA to reach the, room of his father. The noise had notified Margaret, who was ill the her own room on the story above, of Payne's approach, and his object, Al Payne entered the sick room Robinson, the male nurse, then and there confronted him. Payne struck Robinson to the ground with his knife, and then sprang at the secretary. Mir. Seward was in half-sitting posture, leaning his back against sick chair placed in the bed for his support. Realizing Payne's object. he pulled the bedclothine over his head for his protection. Payne strnck him num- Der of times. One blow was 80 we'll aimed that it passed through the bedclothcs through his cheek into his neck on the right side, and an"ther on the left side cut his neck.
 Meantime all this was passing quicker than it Can be told. Margaret had sprung upon him from behind, aud Robinson had gathered himself up sufficiently to confront the assassin. Major A. H. Seward, Miss Fannie Seward, and some Of the servants of the household were now entering the room, and Payne fought his way out from among them. Margaret was struck in the face apparently by Payne's clinched fist 80 that her face was painful and discolored for some time, and she was hurled against the door iamb with such force as to break her collar bone. Mai jor Seward was slightly cut in several places, but none of the wom- en except Margaret were ill any way in- iured. Payne, after cutting his way out, mounted his horse and escaped. Mean time Mir. Seward had apparently disap- peared, and for 0 moment it was thought that the assassin had thrown him out of the open window. He had, however, rolled himself in his bed clothing, and fallen be- tween the bed and the wall, but was so suspended by the clothing that he had not reached the floor. Margaret pulled him uOW ucdIlJ the blankets and the blood, and assisted in dolng what was necessary before she found how much she herself was injured. She recovered, however, sufficiently to continue to act as head nurse to Secretary Seward, to Mir. Frederick Seward, and to Mrs. Sew ard, who never, recovered from the shock of that night, and who died in Margaret's arms, and, finally, as nurse to Miss Fannie Seward. She saw her pass away within the year.
 When MT. Fish succeeded MT. Seward as secretary of state, he took certain of the Seward servants, who agreed to stay with him until Mrs. Fish brought her own es- tablishment to Washington. So Margaret remained with the new secretary of state for six months, and then went to MT. Sum- her, with whom she remained until his death. The arrangement was particularly agreeable to the ladies whom Mir. Sumner received, as most of them had been accus- toned to her friendly ministrations when visiting at the Seward and Fish houses.